Transcending the Duality of Good and Bad

This interview was recorded on November 30, 2022, at the Western Dharma-Nature Land of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. Venerable Master Chin Kung, having sought deliverance through the compassionate guidance of Practitioner Su, now resides within this sacred space. In this discourse, the Venerable Master offers profound insights into the nature of duality and the path to liberation.

Venerable Master Chin Kung speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. Today, Namo Amituofo has given me the topic of 'Good and Bad.' These are terms that people in the world constantly have on their lips. This state of duality is extremely common in the mundane world. Beyond good and bad, there are also concepts like right and wrong, pure and defiled, Buddha and demon, light and darkness, clean and filthy, high and low, wealth and poverty, and so on. These are the appearances of the world. When you combine them, they form the scenery of our existence. Add to this the cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death, and you have the karmic manifestations of samsara, weaving together countless stories of reincarnation."

The Simplicity of the Transcendent Path

"By comparison, the practice of the transcendent path—the path beyond the world—appears much simpler. It is only through this simplicity that one can truly settle the heart. To achieve this, one must let go of comparison, discrimination, and attachment. One must move beyond these polarized states. The Buddha’s teachings instruct us that whether we encounter good or bad, we should view it with a positive heart. Whether we encounter a Buddha or a demon, we must remember that even a demon possesses Buddha-nature; we should treat them as a Buddha. Whether high or low, poor or rich, these are all creations within the cycle of rebirth. In their essence, everyone is equal; everyone is a Buddha. As for darkness and light, if everyone in this world possessed a Buddha-heart, Buddha-vows, and Buddha-actions, the world would be filled with light. Darkness would be replaced by light, and we would be able to see our own luminous true nature."

"As for right and wrong, there has never been a definitive conclusion, because right and wrong are inextricably linked to the laws of karma and cause and effect across three lifetimes. The karmic retribution that manifests in this lifetime is merely the ripening of conditions from past lives. Something that appears 'right' today might actually be a case of settling a debt from a past life, where you are simply repaying what you owed. Conversely, the person who appears to be 'wrong' might have been a victim in a past life, and in this life, they are receiving repayment from the other. Even so, they may not treat the other with a kind face. Through such interactions, new relationships are created for the next life. Therefore, in the Buddha’s teachings, unless you can see through these things and understand them clearly, right and wrong are nothing more than a cycle of debt collection. The reality is that you are you, and I am I; we come alone and we go alone!"

Protecting the Pure Heart

"From the perspective of the Buddha’s teachings, one must possess a kind heart and kind thoughts. Do not harbor evil thoughts, and do not create negative karma. Practitioners are further bound by the Precepts, which protect them from creating negative causes. Thus, the teachings and guidance we receive from the very beginning are all intended to teach everyone to maintain a state of purity and goodness, and to protect their own kind heart."

"These contrasts are a vital part of the world. People live within them, and their hearts become filled with worldly discrimination, delusions, and attachments. How, then, can one have a cool, pure, and peaceful life? Viewed in this light, the practice within the Buddha’s gate is much purer and simpler. Do not live such a complicated life. Live simply, keep your heart pure and unmixed, and wash away the habits and ego that you have carried through countless lifetimes. These habits have been cultivated over countless kalpas and have been stained by the pollutions of the world."

The Wisdom of the Unmoved Heart

"It is rare to hear of someone having a 'good' personality. If we were to force a definition, perhaps it is someone who does not get angry easily. They have a good temperament; no matter what you say to them, they do not flare up. They just smile, as if what you are saying has nothing to do with them. In reality, the person doing the scolding is full of anger and malice, while the person being scolded remains smiling and unmoved. They do not get angry, change their expression, or speak harshly in return. If this is the case, then the person being scolded truly has a good personality and a good temperament. But who is the one suffering a loss? It is the person full of anger. Who has the upper hand? Naturally, it is the one who remains unmoved and continues to wear a smile. Regardless of the facts, in such a situation, one can see that the conflict will not escalate; it may end right there. If you are the one handling such a situation, you must have the wisdom to understand the changes occurring before and after."

"In Australia, the law is strictly observed. It is a country where good and bad are clearly distinguished. For example, when driving, there are rules about what speed is correct, good, and safe in certain conditions. If you exceed the speed limit, you will be punished because it is dangerous. If you listen and follow the rules, you can avoid breaking the law and suffering the evil consequences."

The Path of Diligent Practice

"Looking at the path of monastic practice, from the initial resolve to leave the home life to the subsequent diligent study and progress, that is good. If you have a human body but do not know how to seize the opportunity to diligently change your ways, allowing time to slip away, then that is bad. The good must be continued; do not let it turn bad. This is something practitioners must pay attention to. Do not have discrimination, do not see high or low, and do not see superior or inferior. You must serve all beings with a heart of equality. To achieve results in practice, one must be pure and good, without even a trace of pollution, to attain the Buddha-fruit of realising one's true nature. This is a very high standard."

"For someone who has already been polluted by the world and has developed deep-seated habits—habits that are sometimes even unbreakable—to now discard them all requires great boldness. Everyone must practise the six harmonies and merge into one. To discard the bad—this is practice. To truly achieve success in practice, you must continue to do good. Even if you do something bad, you must be able to admit your mistake. Only with such a heart can you find peace and receive purification. After admitting your mistake, use the 'Buddha-water' to wash clean your bad, polluted, and turbid heart. Once you realise your true nature, that spirit will be free, and it will be time to save yourself and save others."

Living in the One-Body Perspective

"In this world of impermanence and constant change, one must use reason and wisdom to choose between good and bad. Good is not necessarily good, and bad is not necessarily bad. In fact, is there really good and bad? What looks good now may not be good in the future; what looks bad now may not be bad in the future. Good can turn into bad, and bad has the opportunity to enter into good. There are variables at every moment. Therefore, living in this world, one does not need to let one's heart fluctuate too much. People are accustomed to these fluctuations, and because of these fluctuations, their hearts are thrown into chaos, leaving them dizzy and confused. Sometimes, they cannot even distinguish between good and bad. This is because of the 'self.'"

"For people of the world, the body represents the 'self.' If the body is good, I am good. If I am sick, I am not good. When I am happy, I am good. When I am angry or encounter something unsatisfactory, oh, that is bad. Or if I fall seriously ill and need major treatment, alas, this is bad, but I have no choice but to accept it. People live in this world of 'self' and 'good and bad,' unable to find stability, which causes much anxiety and comparison. They hope not to encounter bad things or unsatisfactory events, so they begin to plan, hoping to arrange everything well so that things proceed according to their plans. Only then do they feel at ease and believe they will not make mistakes. If things happen beyond their expectations, they worry that their arrangements or handling were improper, and again, the distinction between good and bad arises. Put this way, life is truly exhausting!"

"If practice can help you find your true self, you could live in a world of the 'one-body perspective.' How wonderful that would be! This idea sounds quite good; everyone can change their direction and do this! By breaking away from the habitual 'self,' the 'self' of good and bad, and the 'self' of discrimination, you will have different realisations. We can verify these things by looking at the lives led by Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and those who have realised their true nature. The lives they lead are free, cool, and peaceful! They would never seek out trouble to make their lives chaotic. Everything they do is clear and understood. For Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and those who have realised their true nature, their goals and directions are consistent; everything they do is for the sake of all beings. Buddhas and Bodhisattvas live in a world of permanence, joy, true self, and purity—not the 'self' of worldly reincarnation. The difference is vast."

The Ultimate Deliverance

"The one-body perspective is indeed something practitioners urgently need to recover. It is a part of the true self. The true self is too vast to describe, and the one-body perspective is a part of it. When you and all beings merge into one, there is no 'self.' Everything is for the sake of all beings; all beings are yourself, and you are all beings. At this time, your karmic creditors cannot find you. Because they are looking for that 'debtor' who has a personality and an ego, not this person who has no self and lives only for all beings. Therefore, your karmic creditors cannot find you, and they cannot take revenge. However, you cannot just leave it at that; this is only a delaying tactic. When you achieve success, become a Buddha, and realise your true nature, you will see the situation of all beings clearly. These are the beings you must save. For now, just ask them to hold their position and give you some time to practise diligently. When you have achieved success, that is the time to save yourself and save them—including your family members, relatives, and friends."

"When you have achieved success, they will naturally appear, or they may ask for your help, or perhaps they want to find the 'you' of the past. By that time, you will see things clearly and be able to explain how you are different. Although you still live in this world using this name, your true spirit has been elevated—elevated to no-self, elevated to the 'self' of the one-body perspective, elevated to the spirit of one who has realised their true nature. You are no longer the one who was sinking and needed to be saved; you are the one who has successfully saved yourself and has the attainment to save others. This is why it is said that realising one's true nature is attaining Buddhahood. Have you ever heard of a Buddha asking someone to save him? No, right? It is always the Buddha saving all beings, the Buddha fulfilling the wishes of the people. When you realise your true nature, your body may be busy, but your heart is stable. It is a deep meditative concentration, not like before, when you lacked concentration and any change in the external environment, or any pull from the aging and sickness of your internal body, would cause you to change, creating suffering and even emotional fluctuations like crying or sadness. People of the world live in such a world, which is why it is called a world of suffering."

"We truly need the education of the Buddha’s teachings to tell everyone that you do not have to live a life of suffering. You do not have to live in a world of good and bad, right and wrong, but can live in a world of equality, coolness, freedom, no-aging, and no-sickness. This is absolutely not a fantasy, but it is also not something you can get just by reaching out your hand. It depends on practice—step by step, changing your habits and ego until they are completely gone. Only then can your true self be revealed. Your habits and ego have been with you for too, too long! You have been in reincarnation for as long as they have been with you. Isn't that terrifying? Therefore, if you want to escape reincarnation in this lifetime and enter the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, where all the superior beings gather, you must change your habits and ego. Otherwise, how can you enter the Western Pure Land? Before you enter, do not let your habits and ego obstruct your rebirth in the Western Pure Land. The best method is to cut them off—cut off your afflictions, cut off the ignorance that acts as an obstacle. If your skills are not yet perfected, or you have not yet reached that stage, at least you must be able to suppress your afflictions and not let them manifest, especially at the very moment of death. You must have the certainty that the afflictions you have suppressed will not manifest again. If they manifest at that moment, you will be in trouble! Wouldn't all the effort you put into suppressing them before be in vain?"

"Therefore, it is better to cut them off entirely. Cut off your habits and temper, cut off your afflictions. However, this is easy to say but not so simple to do. Although it is not simple, I ask you: 'Do you want to be reborn in the Western Pure Land? Do you want to escape reincarnation?' If the answer is, 'Yes, I want to go to the Western Pure Land, I want to escape reincarnation, I do not want to suffer anymore,' then you must do this. You must put in the effort; that is what is called diligent practice."

"Practice requires diligence. There is no practitioner who can achieve true attainment without diligence. Skills that come easily are not solid and are easily changed. True skill is immovable; only then can you face any moving environment."

"Therefore, it seems that the way to achieve stability in body, mind, and spirit, and to avoid living in a world of good and bad, discrimination, and gain and loss, is through diligence and effort—facing problems and recovering your true self."

"Alright, that is all for today’s words from Chin Kung."

Namo Amituofo.

Shi Jingkong, with palms joined.

At the Western Dharma-Nature Land of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, Australia.